any rodentlike mammal of the genus Lepus, of the family Leporidae, having long ears, a divided upper lip, and long hind limbs adapted for leaping.
any of the larger species of this genus, as distinguished from certain of the smaller ones known as rabbits.
any of various similar animals of the same family.
Astronomy. Hare, the constellation Lepus.
the player pursued in the game of hare and hounds.
any solitary leporid mammal of the genus Lepus, such as L. europaeus ( European hare ). Hares are larger than rabbits, having longer ears and legs, and live in shallow nests (forms)
informal to defeat someone completely
to be on good terms with both sides
Sir David. born 1947, British dramatist and theatre director: his plays include Plenty (1978), Pravda (with Howard Brenton, 1985), The Secret Rapture (1989), Racing Demon (1990), The Permanent Way (2003), and Stuff Happens (2004)
William. 19th century, Irish murderer and bodysnatcher: associate of William Burke
What’s the difference between hares and rabbits? Hares and rabbits are both rodentlike mammals in the Leporidae family, but they’re two different species. They look similar, with long ears and large hind legs that make them great jumpers and fast runners. One main difference is that hares are bigger than rabbits. They also appear much differently at birth. Hares are born furry, open-eyed, and ready to run. Rabbits, however, are born without fur and are unable to see at first. To protect their helpless kits or kittens (you can call them bunnies but that’s not a technical term), rabbits dig underground burrows. Hares, on the other hand, build shallow nests in the grass. So, the bigger it is, the more likely it is to be a hare. If it has a burrow underground, it’s a rabbit. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between hares and rabbits.
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hara; cognate with Danish hare; akin to German Hase “hare,” Old English hasu “gray”
Hares are animals that are closely related to rabbits but larger, with longer ears and hind legs. Remember the overconfident animal that lost a race against a tortoise in Aesop's famous fable? That was a hare! Hares and rabbits look very similar, but they're completely different species. Rabbits burrow, while hares stay above ground and give birth in nests in the grass. Unlike rabbits, hares are furry when they're born and able to see and move around independently. Their diets are even different — rabbits like grasses and vegetables, while hares dine on twigs and bark. And while you can keep a rabbit as a pet, hares haven't been domesticated.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Wiltshire farmer David Lemon showed us his 3,000-acre farm, where hare coursers have previously torn up the fields with miles of tyre tracks.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
There have been almost 9,000 reports of hare coursing across the UK in the past three years, according to police responses to Freedom of Information Act requests by the BBC.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Forbes calls that “the tortoise and hare approach.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
That motto, and the company’s approach, has led some to call Blue Origin the tortoise to SpaceX’s hare.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
She still managed to bring down the occasional hare or dassie, but she had to spend a long time hunting them.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Visiting The Hare pub in Harlow east of London, Burnham said the cut was a "first" but "important" step.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Jennifer Hare, who runs one of the organisations based in the building, said they hoped to raise £250,000 by September and get the rest from funding organisations.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
“She has the best of the English and the best of the American traditions,” Hare told the outlet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026
Hare says the proliferation of deepfake attacks means that people with the skills to combat fraudsters are in high demand.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026
He tells us a story about the Great Hare who created different kinds of men and women and put them in a big sack.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
In 2024, he was working in deer management on an estate where he suspects the dead hares had been killed.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Ospreys diving for fish, mountain hares in the snow, puffins with bills full of sand eels, red squirrels, beavers and even a lynx.
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025
As Apple plays the tortoise role—slow and steady wins the race—the sprint between the two hares is what’s captivating investors.
From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025
Musk oxen and snowshoe hares inhabit the base perimeter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025
An hour later, there were more footsteps, and a family of hares shuffled into the Nest.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
The Scots were made to pay for Caroline Weir's missed penalty before the break when substitute Amber Barrett hared through on the break to slot past goalkeeper Lee Gibson.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2022
He picked himself up and hared off in pursuit of Carapaz, bashing on his displaced left-brake lever as he descended, trying to hammer it back straight on his handlebars.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 17, 2020
“I’ve seen pictures but it is hared to believe. When you are above it in a plane and see the total devastation, see no houses left, not even the pads.”
From Washington Times ● Oct. 15, 2018
Dickson reminds us that when Wen Jiabao, then China’s premier, came to England in 2011, he flew first to a small airport outside Birmingham and hared off to Stratford to pay homage.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2016
"Is the Sperret of William Tompkins present?" sed 1 of the long hared chaps, and there was three knox on the table.
From The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 1: Essays, Sketches, and Letters by Ward, Artemus
Broady was haring in, sharing a few words, going chest to chest and wanting to show he was a top young player.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2023
Those jurors will be taken to Carroll County from that county for the trial, which is scheduled for March but unlikely to occur before the fall, Gull said at the haring.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2023
A final defender comes haring across, all pumping thighs and straining arms.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2022
The blue shirts come haring on, leaping and jumping, eyes wide, spooked by their own moment of history.
From The Guardian ● May 7, 2020
Malfoy went haring after him, clearly thinking Harry had seen the Snitch there....
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
